A 24-year old armed robbery suspect, Mr. Tajudeen Onifara has revealed the secret behind his success in the underworld for nine years during which he robbed many people of their money and other possessions.

He confessed to the police that he was dutifully paying his tithe to his church, Christ Living Ministry, Lagos Island, as commanded in the Bible after every successful robbery operation in Lagos, western Nigeria.

Onifara was arrested in a hotel with his girlfriend by men of the anti-robbery squad of the state police command after nine years of robbing people.

The father of two said he paid his tithe regularly because he believed that as a Christian God always bless a faithful tither.

He disclosed that after every successful operation, he would remove 10 percent of the money he stole from people and pay as tithe to church.

Onifara attributed his success in crime for nine years to the fact that he paid his tithe regularly as commanded by God in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 and 11. The verses, he said, mandated Christians to give 10 percent of their earnings as tithe to the church.

He said he started stealing at the age of 15 and specialised in robbing customers of banks with locally made cut-to-size pistol before he graduated to a big time armed robber.

He said his major breakthrough in the underworld occurred when he robbed a woman who withdrew N2m from a bank in Lagos.

He said she was about entering her car when he accosted her and pointed a toy gun at her. The woman quickly surrendered the money to him.

“I pretended as if I wanted to assist her. She did not know that I was an armed robber and when we got to where she parked her car, I pointed a gun at her and she quietly handed the money to me. After snatching the money I escaped on a bike with my friend,” he stated.

He disclosed that he used part of the money to buy a sophisticated weapon after removing his tithe.

On what he did with all the money he stole over the years, he explained that he used the money to enrol his children in one of the best schools in Lagos and opened a supermarket at Idumagbo on Lagos Island.

He added that he used a substantial part of the money to take care of himself and his girlfriends.

On how he was arrested, he said he was having fun with his girlfriend in Ibadan at a popular hotel when SARS men arrested him.

When asked how he felt now that he was arrested, he replied: “I know that robbery is a serious and risky ‘business’ that can cut short one’s life. If I am given another chance, I will abandon it and engage in a legitimate business.”

Police sources said Onifara who is now in custody at SARS will soon be charged to court

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